Brown sentenced for Rihanna assault

US singer Chris Brown has been sentenced to probation and community work for beating his former girlfriend pop star Rihanna.

The 20-year-old pleaded guilty in June to one count of felony assault relating to an incident that occurred hours before the pair were due to perform at the Grammy Awards.

At Los Angeles Superior Court, Brown was told that he must serve five years probation and perform six months of community labour in his home state of Virginia.

Rihanna was not in court to see her attacker sentenced.

The sentence was in line with recommendations agreed between Brown and prosecutors as part of a plea bargain, but it has been heavily criticised by domestic abuse campaigners who claimed it is too lenient.

The attack on Rihanna left her bleeding and badly bruised. Brown, her then boyfriend, was arrested on February 8. According to an affidavit filed by an LA police detective, the altercation took place in a car when Rihanna checked Brown's mobile phone and found a text message from another woman.

Speaking after the hearing, Rihanna's lawyer Donald Etra confirmed that a non-contact order would remain in place for the duration of the probation sentence.

He said: "The stay away order was imposed by the court requiring Mr Brown to stay 100 yards from Rihanna except at an entertainment event when Mr Brown has to stay 10 yards away. The court was quite explicit that the stay away order would be imposed for a five-year term."

But he added that Rihanna could seek to modify the terms of the order if she so desired.

Mr Etra said his client was "doing fine", adding: "She's pursuing her career and I think that she also wants to make it clear that throughout the course of this entire case she has been tremendously appreciative of the support her family, friends and fans have given her throughout the world."